Piper Mclean
"Being a hero doesn't mean you're invincible; it means you're brave enough to stand up and do what's needed."–Piper to Jason Piper McLean is one of the main characters in The Heroes of Olympus. Piper is the Greek demigod daughter of Aphrodite and Tristan McLean and is currently the head counselor of the Aphrodite cabin. She is currently dating Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. HISTORY Piper got her name from her Grandpa Tom, who noted her strong voice, and hoped that she would one day learn all of the great Cherokee songs. As opposed to many other children of Aphrodite, Piper was never very focused on her natural beauty and has a tomboyish style. At one point, she helped her actor father research Greek Mythology (for a role her father was about to take on) and learned quite a bit. Her father would also tell her old Cherokee stories he heard from Grandpa Tom. From time to time, Piper and her father would play a game called "Any Three Questions," though Piper wasn't able to learn much about her mother. Piper has always had the ability to Charmspeak and uses it (not knowingly) to gain her father's attention by "borrowing" things from salesmen like a lawnmower or a car, causing her to get into trouble with the law when the people report her for stealing. At one point, she talked a car dealer into giving her a BMW and drove it away from the lot. She only stole items because she wanted attention from her father, who she believed wasn't spending enough time with her. The dealer pressed charges for theft after Piper took the BMW, but her father's assistant, Jane, made a deal for her to be sent to Wilderness School instead of going to jail. The school is a place for delinquent kids, but it was here that she met Leo Valdez and the two formed a friendship, she even trusted him with the truth that her father is the movie star Tristan McLean. Piper and Leo's back-story is a rare one, since they are the only two known demigods who met and befriended each other before they even knew they were demigods. Mist History Leo Valdez and Piper were both given false memories of Jason before he arrived at the Wilderness School. In these memories, Jason Grace, Leo, and Piper had been friends for about three months after Jason first arrived. Piper tried to get closer to him and the two eventually watched shooting stars from the school's roof, and shared a kiss. They began dating a few weeks before the events of The Lost Hero. This reality was proved to be fake when Annabeth asked Piper some basic things about Jason she doesn't know. Personality Piper is very caring and loving towards her boyfriend Jason and is frightened, sad and angry at anything that may pose a threat to her bond with him, such as when Drew claims that Piper needs to break his heart as an initiation into the cabin. She is greatly saddened by the possibility that her first relationship with Jason was aMist-induced illusion and breaks down in tears when Annabeth asks her what Jason's last name is (which she doesn't know). She also likes to touch Jason in very kind and loving ways such as holding his hand, leaning against his chest, resting her head on his leg, wrapping her arms around him and having his arms around her, probably since they were together in her Mist-manipulated memories. These memories are much sharper to Piper because she is a daughter of Aphrodite, so she can sense possibilities. Compared to the other children of Aphrodite, Piper is much more aggressive and down to earth, not constantly focused on herself or her looks. When claimed by Aphrodite, she complains that she can't get rid of her makeup or her new hairstyle and finds it to be annoying to say the least. Before she was claimed by Aphrodite, Piper expressed that she wanted to be the daughter of Athena, Hecate or any goddess that wasn't Aphrodite, and she also thought Aphrodite cabin had been a "life-sized dollhouse" where supermodels went to die, and when she was claimed, she didn't fit in at all, and still doesn't. Rachel, the Oracle of Delphi, thinks evenAnnabeth wants Piper to be a child of Athena. Aphrodite herself also said that she was much smarter than most of her other children. Piper hates make-up, skirts, magazines, dresses and popular girls. She said that if she started a craving for fashion magazines, she would complain to her mother. Piper also does not like it when Drew bullies the other Aphrodite children. She feels that Drew is running her cabin like a dictatorship and she doesn't truly understand what love is. Piper is not afraid to stand up to Drew, and because they can both use the charmspeak ability, Drew cannot control her like she does with the other campers. After Piper returns from her quest, she challenges Drew for her position as cabin leader because Drew has never been on a quest and thus, Piper is able to take the leadership role. At the end of The Blood of Olympus, Drew seems to not mind Piper's position of leadership as she can spend more time gossiping and doing in-cabin makeovers. She appears to be more perceptive of others' feelings compared to the rest of the members of the Argo II. Like everybody on the Argo II, she had an insecurity with her own identity. As seen in The House of Hades, hers appeared to be that she felt useless and not a hero at all without her friends. This was exploited by Khione as she attacked the ship. Though those thoughts have likely stopped after her found confidence during that same confrontation. Appearance Piper is described to be a very beautiful girl of Cherokee descent, with tanned skin, chocolate-brown hair that is cut choppy and uneven with thin strands braided down on the sides, and eyes that seemed to change color like a kaleidoscope, going from brown to blue to green. Her beauty is such that she drew attention even when trying not to do so. Jason, her boyfriend, also mentioned that he could stare all day into her eyes and not be able to figure out what color they were. Before she was claimed by Aphrodite, she seemed to have facial imperfections such as pimples, namely one at the base of her nose, which had been there for so long that she had even named it. After Piper was claimed and subsequently blessed, however, she—for a time—became the most gorgeous girl in Camp Half-Blood: her hair became lush and long, braided with gold ribbons down one side so it fell across her shoulder. She also wore perfect makeup that made her lips cherry-red and brought out all the different colors in her eyes. Despite her beauty and her parentage, Piper is described to have a simple, tomboyish style. (see,Piper Mclean/gallery) Abilities * ADHD: Like most demigods, she possesses inborn supernatural battle reflexes and senses that she uses to analyze the fighting style of her opponent. * Dyslexia: Her brain is hardwired for Ancient Greek. * Swordsmanship: In The House of Hades, Hazel starts to teach Piper to fight with a sword. By The Blood of Olympus, her skills improved to the point that she single-handedly defeated an entire flock of "demon chicken ladies" while on guard duty. * Knowledge of Greek Mythology: She knows a lot about Greek mythology after doing research on the subject for a role her father had. Demigod Abilities * Amokinesis: As a daughter of Aphrodite, Piper has some control over many degrees of control over love, lust, beauty, etc. though on a much smaller scale than her mother. ** She can attract the opposite gender when she walks by. ** She may have the ability to change her physical features, as Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. This can be seen when Jason mentions that her eyes "constantly change color, like a kaleidoscope going from brown to blue to green." ** In The House of Hades, Piper's powers may have increased, when she uses the power of love to melt Khione's ice and permanently start up Festus. However, it may be just a new-found understanding of her abilities. ** She can also see things that are happening far away through her knife, Katoptris, which used to belong to Helen of Troy. After being captured by pirates in The House of Hades, Piper asks Hazel to teach her swordfighting and becomes slightly skilled in it. * Charmspeak: She has the "gift" of charmspeak, allowing her to influence others with enhanced vocal persuasiveness. It can even affect some of the gods. As of the The House of Hades, Piper's skill with charmspeak has improved to the point that she was even able to awaken Festus. In The Blood of Olympus, she uses her charmspeak to make Gaea fall back to her slumber. * Beauty: She is able to radiate beauty, regardless of how she may look. This ability sometimes prevents enemy forces from willingly attacking her, even as she charges them head-on. * Ability to speak French: As a child of Aphrodite, she is noted in The Lost Hero to be able to speak French fluently due to it being the "language of love." Weapons/Items Piper is the wielder of an Ancient Greek ceremonial dagger called Katoptris. It was given to Helen of Troy as a wedding gift from Menelaus, Helen's first husband. The dagger seems to show a scene of something that has importance to whoever looks at their reflection in the blade. Katoptris is a Greek word meaning "looking glass." In The Mark of Athena, she receives the Horn of Plenty after cutting off the horn of the River god Achelous. It allows her summon food and water if she has enough will and concentration. It powers also seem to increase if multiple people focus at the same time. In The House of Hades, Piper also picks up Zethes’s sword, and Hazel starts to teach her how to use it. In The Blood of Olympus, her Horn of Plenty is sacrificed to Phobos and Deimos, the twin gods of fear and terror. Relationships Love Interests Jason Grace Piper's love interest is Jason Grace. This first happened under the influence of the Mist (Hera/Juno placed false memories) but soon more pronounced feeling blossomed from both of them over the course of Jason's quest. She announces to the Aphrodite cabin that Jason is hers alone and that no one else should dare pursue his affections. Piper said she would catapult Drew over the Long Island Sound if she touched Jason. She stated that for now, she was content in simply being at his side. She could see possibilities with her having a true relationship with Jason. However, she is unaware that Jason is starting to remember a girl named Reyna, someone that Jason feels is very important but can't remember why. In The Son of Neptune, Reyna exposes a strong relationship or feeling for Jason, suggesting a rivalry between the two might occur. In The Demigod Diaries, Leo also remarks Jason and Piper are dating, showing that they seemed to have finally gotten together. They even share a kiss when they are battling the maenads in the woods of Camp Half-Blood. In The Mark of Athena, Annabeth states that Jason and Piper are dating confirming their relationship has continued for the past six months. Piper becomes somewhat jealous every time Jason mentions Reyna, but their relationship remains intact. In The Blood of Olympus, Jason admits that while dating the daughter of the goddess of love, he is always afraid of doing something unromantic and angering her mother. At the end of The Blood of Olympus, he kisses her passionately under the stars. He reminds her of their first kiss, which was really just a trick of the mist. He tells that they're starting over, and that was their first kiss. They then rest there, and Piper says that, for once, she feels it is it possible to start over. Rivals'':'' Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano When Piper first met Reyna, she initially prepared to hate her for liking Jason, but came to admire her for not showing her feelings at all, having total control of herself, and acting silently considerate. She is constantly afraid that Jason still has feelings for her, although Jason claims he never did feelings for her,even in his 'previous' life. Reyna was surprised and additionally was jealous of Piper when Jason introduced Piper as his girlfriend. Annabeth mentioned that Reyna was trying to hide her pain and anger inside when talking with her. Piper was also uneasy when Jason asked Piper to talk to Reyna and when he talked about him and Reyna's quest together. Jason seemed entirely oblivious to both. The air is cleared at the end of The Blood of Olympus, and Reyna asks Piper about what Aphrodite had said in Charleston. Piper cheers her up and says that it need not be demigod that heals her heart. Drew Tanaka Drew and Piper primarily dislike each other, because they both like Jason, Piper's current boyfriend. Drew flirted with Jason constantly during The Lost Hero, making Piper jealous. Piper also disliked Drew as head of the Aphrodite cabin, for being cruel to Piper and her cabinmates, and for supporting things that were unkind. At the end of The Lost Hero, Piper challenges Drew to a fight to become head of the Aphrodite cabin. Out of fear, Drew steps down anyway. Friends: Leo Valdez Despite Piper being very beautiful, Leo never hits on her or asks her out, acting more like a brother who looks out for her. In The Mark of Athena, Piper gives him a sisterly kiss on the cheek after he returns safe and sound from Camp Fish-Blood, showing that she really does care for him, even if the two tease each other. In The House of Hades, when Leo returns from Calypso's island, Piper is one of the first ones to hug and kiss him, showing a very strong friendship between them. Percy Jackson Piper states that when she initially met Percy Jackson, she was initially not overly impressed by him when compared to boyfriend Jason Grace, however she seems to have gained more appreciation for him over time. Their relationship is not shown in depth in The Mark of Athena, which simply implies that Piper sees kinship with all the members of the Prophecy of the Seven. Piper and Percy get along reasonably well, with Piper technically saving his life twice (as well as Jason's). The instances are charmspeaking Jason and Percy into not killing each other and Piper, Jason, and Percy combining their powers into Piper's Horn of Plenty to save them in tainted waters when Jason and Percy's powers where useless. She seems to think he is a bit reckless and rebellious but has no complaints having either Jason or Percy being the "leader" of the Prophecy of the Seven. Later she admits she feels guilty for letting Blackjack knock Percy on the head. She also seems worried when Percy almost drowns in the tainted water along with her and Jason. She is shown to trust him enough to use her Katroptris just because he asked her to despite her overall reluctance in ever using it. She once notices that he smells like the ocean. Percy is shown to trust Piper enough to use his life-force along with hers and Jason's on the Horn of Plenty despite his concerns of the water killing them faster. In The Blood of Olympus, Piper notes that Percy can be scary many times, even when he doesn't want to, and wonders what could he do If he actually wants to be Intimidating. Annabeth Chase Piper and Annabeth get along well. Piper also mentioned that Annabeth would make a cool friend in better times. It is also stated that Piper hoped that Athena would claim Piper, as then they could be in the same cabin. It is said in the House of Hades that Hazel and her shared some tears about Annabeth. In The House of Hades, when Annabeth returns from Tartarus, Piper is the first one to tearfully hug her. Hazel Levesque Piper and Hazel first meet in The Mark of Athena, and seemed to be on good terms. Hazel encouraged Piper to coerce the eidolons to leave, and Piper comforted Hazel after Jason and Leo accidentally insulted her by questioning Nico. In The House of Hades, both are the only girls left on board the Argo II, which allows them to bond and become good friends. Hazel would constantly train Piper in swordsmanship, while Piper would attempt to help Hazel control the Mist by telling her about Charmspeak. They also enjoy laughing about the bad habits of the boys, and had a number of good private talks. Family: Tristan McLean "...if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they'd all be bowing down to her screaming, 'We're not worthy!'"–Leo about Piper's dad, Piper's father is Tristan McLean, a well known actor with a powerful position and is of Cherokee descent. Her father is always at work and busy. Piper wants to feel recognized by him which is why she gets in trouble and "steals" things with her charmspeaking. The two share a moment during The Lost Hero, where he explained that while he does love her, he tried to keep her away from him so she wouldn't be drawn into his crazy celebrity life. From then on, Piper is more understanding of her dad and accepts that he may not have as much time for her as she would like. Aphrodite Her mother is Aphrodite, who is as known as the goddess of love and beauty. When Piper met her mom in her dream, the two seemed to act on good terms with each other and she thinks her mother is beautiful. In The Mark of Athena she admits feeling a little hurt that her mother paid almost no attention to her when Hazel, Annabeth and Piper meet up with Aphrodite/Venus. Aphrodite also states that she's trying to make their love life "intresting," but in other words, it just means she's making it hard. In The House of Hades, Piper is able to defeat Khione when she remembers how great and powerful her mother is, which motivates and enhances Piper's powers to the point that she uses the love of her heart to melt Khione's ice. Thomas McLean (A.K.A Grandpa Tom) Piper also had a grandfather called Grandpa Tom He was the one who named Piper. He named her that because she had a loud, strong voice. Lacy Lacy is a young girl in the Aphrodite cabin. She helps Piper by building up a collection of clothes for Piper before she leaves on her quest. Mitchell Another cabin-mate of Piper. He also helped Piper when she first arrived and was happy when Piper took over the cabin from Drew Etymology Piper is an Old English name meaning "pipe player," a possible reference to her ability to charmspeak and the story of the pied piper. According to her Grandpa Tom, he named her that as she had high vocal voice when she was a baby, also saying that one day she was going to play the biggest tune of them all. Piper is also a synonym for a squab, particularly that of a dove or pigeon. Interestingly Piper's mother is called "Lady of Doves." McLean is a Scottish or Irish surname that is a variant of the name "McLain", which is rooted in the Gaelic "Mac Gille Eáin" meaning "son of the servant of John". Trivia * She got her name because her grandfather thought she would one day master all the Cherokee songs, including the snake song. Her father liked the idea and named her Piper. * She sometimes calls Jason "Sparky." * Piper was the first Head Counselor to be promoted, who had other siblings, in less than five days. She is also the first half-blood in both series to challenge another for the right to become Head Counselor. * Piper is a vegetarian. * Piper dislikes the term half-blood due to her being called one for years, as other kids made fun of her for being half-Native American and half-white. * Piper's role in The Lost Hero is vaguely similar to Hazel's in The Son of Neptune, as they both have a crush on a member of the quest, as well as possessing a dark secret. However, Piper is much more open about her crush than Hazel. * There is somewhat an inconsistency in Piper's clothing in the American cover of The Lost Hero. She appears to still be wearing the dress Aphrodite gave her when she was claimed while she already changed it prior to riding Festus and going to Boreas castle in Quebec.1 * Unlike the rest of Aphrodite’s (known) daughters, Piper is a tomboy. * It is thought that her charmspeak saved Jason's life when he saw Hera's divine form. The actual reason this worked, though, was that Thanatos (Death) was chained at the time. This was revealed in The Son of Neptune. * She is called the "Mediator", by her mother Aphrodite, for when the two sides of demigods, Greek and Roman, will meet, she will have to mediate them, since she has the ability of charmspeak. * She is the only one of the new main characters to have her mortal parent still alive. * She is also the only new main character with a mortal father. * Drew calls her the Dumpster Queen (for her lack of form and her simple clothes, the very things Jason likes about her) and Miss Movie Star (for when she says her father is Tristan McLean). * At one point, she was interested in being a Hunter of Artemis, but she lost all interest after learning she'd have to swear off boys. * Before receiving the blessing of Aphrodite, Piper had a pimple on the base of her nose that had been there for so long, she began to call it Bob. However, Bob disappears after her claiming. * In her official portrait, an image of Enceladus is reflected in her dagger. * Piper's first chapter in The Lost Hero is the first time in both series we don't hear from a child of the Big Three. * Also, Piper is the first girl to have a point of view in either series. * Piper is the only character whose face you can't see clearly in her official portrait, as she is shown from the back. You can see part of her face in her knife however.